New Friends

02/15/13
Gosh darn it Kenya. You've done it again. Every day is the same. Somehow, everyday I find another reason to fall in love with this country again and again.
It's been a heck of a week, for sure. I can't believe it's only been a little over a week since I left home. I feel like I've packed enough activity and emotion to last a month. That said, homesickness will not win this time. Kenya has me in its tight grasp, as do the kiddos, and neither are letting go. Caring for these kids is without question the most rewarding experience I've ever had. I come home every day exhausted, but smiling. I know I'm not supposed to have favorites, but I can't help it. I've got this friend. Her name is Meppo. She is seven years old. When Meppo first came to the Nest a few months ago, she couldn't walk, she didn't show any sign of comprehending when spoken to, and she didn't speak at all. Today she greeted me by running towards me with her arms wide open. She is mentally handicapped and her progress is slow, but if there was a place that could teach her to speak and run and play, this is it.
After our night-before-Valentines-day celebration of sappy movies and chocolate, we spent the real Valentines day the way an Austrian would, by not celebrating at all. Thank goodness for that. I can't say I miss the huge advertisement displays. Instead of getting sappy all over again, we spent the night eating homemade chapati with avocado (SO GOOD), doing our workout, dying Christina's hair, and just dancing like idiots. (okay, so I danced like an idiot while they laughed at me.) The only thing missing was my German lesson.
After 8 days of working, each volunteer gets a two day break. It just so happened that all four of the other volunteers had their days off today, which left me alone. In a different environment I would've probably been terrified to go to work all by myself, but I had a blast today. Since I wasn't surrounded by the other volunteers, I was able to reach out and get to know other members of the staff. From these conversations I learned so much about the upcoming election and the surrounding chaos. There was an outrageous amount of violence between tribes during the last election and everyone is praying for peace as the time approaches. The main violence occurred after the results came out and people were unhappy with the outcome.
On top of learning about Kenyan politics, I made a few new friends today. I hope my parents are okay with 3 austrians and multiple Kenyans coming to visit because I've invited them all to come stay with us. I have a friend who has promised to teach me swahili as well as make me delicious Kenyan coffee. Between that and German lessons from three Austrian friends who like cooking, I don't think I could be any happier. I don't have a beautiful golden tan yet but I've managed to get a sunburn or two. We'll see what kind of condition I'm in in four months. Until then, I'll enjoy every gritty grimy moment here, (I come home with filthy feet and dirt under my finger nails every day) and thanks to today's 2 mile walk to fetch milk, I am ready for bed.
Goodnight!